Two Rejected Designs for a Charity Medal Commemorating the Flood

This Dutch satirical print presents two competing medal designs mocking official plans to commemorate charitable efforts following a major flood disaster. The left design shows a woman sheltering children under an umbrella—an ironic image of protection amid crisis. The right depicts a muscular Hercules figure struggling to support a collapsing structure, labeled with Latin inscriptions. The engraving format and circular composition echo Renaissance medal designs, while the paired-proposal format invites viewers to judge the absurdity of bureaucratic self-commemoration. The print descends from the Northern European tradition of political satire established by Hogarth and Gillray, using visual wit to critique institutional hypocrisy and hollow gestures toward victims of natural disaster.